Conductor supporting assembly



March 26, 1957 F. w. WILSON CONDUCTOR SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 2, 1956 J FIG-.2)

INVENTOR. Frzeuole W. WlLSU A roQME s March 26, 1957 F. w. WILSON 2,786,885

CONDUCTOR SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY Filed March 2, 1956 FIE-.4

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Flzsoms w. wmscm AT To 2N EYS United States Patent 2,786,885 CONDUCTOR SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY Freddie W. Wilson, Branson, Mo. Application March 2, 1956, Serial No. 569,200

2 Claims. c1. 174-'-168) This invention relates to conductor holders, and more particularly to an insulator of the clamping type for use in supporting transmission lines and similar conductors.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved insulating support for conductors, said support being simple in construction, being useful for stringing and providing a desired amount of sag in the wires being supported, and providing a substantial saving in the amount of time and labor required in stringing wire.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved insulator for use in supporting transmission line conductors and the like, the improved insulating device being inexpensive to fabricate, being durable in construction, being provided with means for accommodating diiferent Wire sizes, and eliminating the necessity of using stringing blocks to string the conductors and to provide the desired sag therein, which subsequently must be removed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the top portion of a post member to which is attached an improved insulating support according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertieal cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the upper portion of the support shown in Figures 1 to 4 with the clamping element thereof in clamping position.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional detail view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a bottm perspective view of the bottom clamping jaw element employed in the insulating support of Figures 1 to 6.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a post member to the upper portion of which is secured a crossbar block 12. The block 12 is provided at its top surface with the upstanding spaced tapered prongs 13. Designated at 14 is an insulator body which is supported on the block 12, said body being formed of porcelain, or similar insulating material and being provided with a tapered recess 15 in its bottom portion and extending for a substantial distance axially of the body 14, said recess being shaped to receive a prong 13 in the manner shown in Figure 2. As is clearly shown in Figure 2, the tapering recess 15 is slightly longer than the prong 13, so that the prong will be securely received in the recess 15 and the bottom of the insulator 14 will at the same time bear on the top surface of the block 12, insuring that the insulator 14 will be rigidly secured to the block and will not pivot relative thereto.

The insulator 14 is formed at its top portion with the annular groove 16 and engaged on the opposite sides of said groove are respective arcuate clamping collar eleice 2 nients 17 and 18, said eollaf elements having apei'tured end lugs 19 through which extend the clamping bolts 20 securing the collar elements in opposing relationship and in clamping engagement with the annular groove 16.

The collar elements 17 and 18 are formed with the respective upstanding arms 21 and 22 which receive there between the respective segments 23 and 24 of a generally C-shaped wire holder, said segments being fastened be tween the arms 21 and 22 by a transversely extending connecting bolt 25 and being fastened together on op posite sides of the arms 21 and 22 by additional fastening bolts 26, 26. x p

, The segments 23 and 24 are joined together substantially at a vertical plane containing the axis of the prong 13 and extending parallel to the vertical arm portions of the respective segments 23 "and 24, shown respectively at 27 and 28 in Figure 2. p k

The bottom portions of the segments 23 and 24 are formed with mating rib elements 29 and 30 defining 9. depending pivot flange which is of generally arcuate shape, as shown in Figure 4, whereby said pivot flange is receivable in a channel 30 formed in the top end of the insulator 14 and is adapted to rotate at times on the bottom surface of said channel, as will be presently described.

The mating surfaces of the segments 23 and 24 are formed with opposing vertical grooves 31 defining a vertical drainage opening loeated centrally in the groove defined between the arms 27 and 28.

Journaled transversely between the lower portions of the vertical arms 27 and 28 are the respective rollers 34 and 35 having end shaft elements 32 and 33 rotatably engaged in said arms, said rollers being annularly grooved and being arranged in horizontal alignment, so that the rollers may be employed to supportin'gly receive a conductor between the vertical arms 27 and 28 while it is being suitably tensioned to provide a desired amount of sag therein.

Threadedly engaged through the top portion 36 of the segment 23 is a vertical screw 37 which is centered be' tween the rollers 34 and 35 and which has rotatably secured to its bottom end a channeled clamping shoe 38 which is slidably receivable between the arms 27 and 28 when in lowered position, as shown in Figure 5, and which is normally substantially in sliding engagement with the inside surface of the arm 27 so that it is held against rotation. The shoe 38 extends substantially for the full width of the members 23 and 24, as shown in Figure 6. Designated at 39 is a bottom clamping jaw element which is channeled in the same manner as the shoe 38 and which is substantially identical thereto, being receivable between the arm 28 and the lower portion of the arm 27 in overlying relationship to the rollers 34 and 35. As shown in Figure 7, the jaw member 39 is hollowed out at its bottom, as shown at 40, so that it is adapted to overlie the rollers 34 and 35 when it is placed in the position thereof shown in Figure 5. The ends of the jaw member 39 are provided with the depending pin elements 41, 41 which are receivable in recesses 42 formed in the bottom wall portions of members 23 and 24 and which positively restrain the jaw member 39 against movement after it is positioned over the rollers 34 and 35.

The clamping screw 37 is provided on its top end with the hexagonal head portion 45, whereby the screw may be rotated by using a suitable wrench, said screw being provided with a lock nut 46 for locking the screw after it has been adjusted to clamping position.

In placing a conductor in the clamp, the lower jaw element 39 is first removed and the conductor is placed on the rollers 34, 35 between the vertical arms 27 and 28, the wire being then allowed to roll free until the proper sag is obtained. The loose end of the wire is then suitably secured to hold it stationary and the bottom clamping jaw 39 is then placed in position beneaththe wire, said wire being lifted in any suitable way to allow the clamping jaw to be inserted, after which the clamping screw 37 is tightened to lower the shoe 38 into clamping engagement with the wire, which is supported on the bottom jaw 39 in the manner shown in Figure 6, sufficient torque being exerted on the screw 37 to develop the required clamping pressure. The lock nut 46 is then tightened, to rigidly fasten the clamping screw 37 in clamping position.

After the wire has been thus placed, the C-shaped holder defined by the segments 23 and 24 is free to pivot slightly longitudinally in the channel 30, responsive to forces exerted on the wire, such as forces developed by changes in temperature or by wind, thus preventing building up too much tensile stress in the wire as a result of such forces. This prevents breakage, as well as excessive deformation of the wire as a result of temperature or wind efiects.

It will be noted that there is no necessity for using tie wires or the like in connection with the insulating support above described. This greatly reduces shock hazards, since tie wires frequently are long enough to come in contact with other energized wires on the post supporting the conductor to be installed, creating dangerous shock hazards to the workmen installing the conductors. By the use of the supporting insulator of the present invention, shock hazards heretofore present where tie wires are required are completely eliminated.

It will be further noted that larger size conductors may be substituted for the original conductors without necessitating the use of different insulating supports, since the same rollers 34 and 35 may be employed in stringing the large size conductors.

While a specific embodiment of an improved insulating support for transmission wires and similar conductors has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a conductor supporting assembly, an upstanding insulator, a pair of upstanding arms secured to opposite sides of said insulator and projecting thereabove, a generally C-shaped holder secured between said arms and engaging the top of said insulator, a pair of spaced rollers journaled transversely in the lower portion of said C-shaped holder, said rollers being arranged in horizontally aligned, spaced parallel relationship, a channeled conductor supporting member detachably mounted in said lower portion over said rollers, a screw member threaded through the top arm of said C-shaped holder, and a clamping element slidably engaged in said holder above said conductor supporting member and being rotatably connected to the bottom end of said screw member.

2. In a conductor supporting assembly, a bottom support, an upstandingcentral tapered prong on the top end of said bottom support, an upstanding insulator formed with a tapered bottom recess substantially interfitting with said prong and formed with a recess in its top end, a pair of upstanding arms secured to opposite sides of said insulator and projecting thereabove, a generally C-shaped holder secured between said arms, a depending arcnate projection on the bottom of said holder engaged in said recess, a pair of spaced rollers journaled transversely in the lower portion of said C-shaped holder in horizontally aligned, spaced parallel relationship, a channeled conductor supporting member detachably mounted in said lower portion over said rollers, a screw member threaded through the top arm of said C-shaped holder, and a clamping element slidably and non-rotatably engaged in said holder above said conductor supporting member and being rotatably connected to the bottom end of said screw member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 712,440 Shreffler Oct. 28, 1902 1,684,784 Weller Sept. 18, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS 79,282 Sweden Oct. 28, 1930 

